Aaw thank you! And don't worry I don't mind a bit of banter hehe, I think as soon as the weather is warmer I'll wash it, put oil in, brush it through, thin it a little, then braid it up, they sound like the best ways according to all your advice. Speed racer is right though, I'm not worried about flies in the slightest at this time of year, the only thing I am concerned about is, how long is it acceptable to keep it braided? I'm worried she'll want to rub it is I keep it up too long :S

By the way, please don't be at each others' throats cos of a question, I really do appreciate all of your advice, tips and opinions!

You have to remember Thunderhooves; GV's aren't all that and them some in the UK like they are in the US - not nearly the demand and adoration! Though, they are stunning horses. ;)

Personally I wouldn't cut or thin the tail, just as that's one of the main features of the GV's look. But, that's just me - I really wouldn't want a GV just for that reason though, haha! I would do what we do at our school; wash, finger-pick, dry, braid and put up in a tail sock (literally, a sock - I would never pay for a tail bag!) and every couple weeks or so repeat. In the summer when there are flies we just leave some wispy hair out of the sock and make sure to have lots of fly prevention; fly spray, stickies, etc.

Personally, I will only plait, not braid, and I only leave it in for a night at most. I know I get uncomfortable when I have a pony tail/plait in my hair for any longer than a day - Even if it is loose! If I want to keep my show horses tail nice, I use a tail BAG - It has a different meaning over here. It attaches to a rug, which is the only drawback, but it lets the tail hang loose naturally, but keeps it clean.

Your horse would probably be more comfortable without a muddy mass of hair dragging behind her. Sanitation comes before beauty. You don't have to cut it too short, most people cut a horse's tail to the point above the fetlock joint. You can thin the end to make it look more natural. Also, you can reduce the thickness by cutting a tail at the dock. It's a little difficult to explain, but my horse has this dock cut with fetlock joint length:

You can see at the top of his dock there are short hairs, that is where I cut them to make his tail thinner (this was taken when it was grown out, not freshly clipped). You can also see at the bottom of his tail is thinned a bit and not cut in a straight line for a more natural appearance. Cutting a tail is much easier than combing and spraying a Rapunzel tail everyday.

As for the tail: I have used Cowboy Magic and it worked like a charm. My horse's tail has never really been badly matted but a few of the Arabian's that are boarded at our stable had badly matted tails/manes. Our barn owner took pity on them (you'd think their owners would do this) and slathered mane and tail with Cowboy Magic and brushed and brushed til the witch's knots were gone! Wow Wee I was impressed.

My gelding's tail is not to the ground but my husband's gelding's is almost there. I am going to trim it several inches so it isn't nasty and I won't let Red's get to the ground either. I don't like to see messy or pooped on tails and my boy is probably the messiest horse in the county!

Aww thank you for all your compliments :) She's not registered but I think it just makes her more unique and for £400, I really can't complain! Here in England they're not super sought after, and there's quite a few crosses Etc, but still, I love 'em!

I can't wait till the weather is warmer so I can put these tips into practice!

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